Tributes have been pouring in for a dad and 'first class' lifeboatman who died just hours after celebrating his birthday. Ashleigh Holtby, who joined the Weston RNLI crew in 1986, tragically suffered a stroke on his 60th birthday on Sunday (April 16).
The father-of-two had spent Friday morning celebrating his landmark birthday with a breakfast at Stones Cafe on Weston seafront with members of the crew. Hours later, he was rushed to Musgrove Park Hospital but sadly died, report Somerset Live.
Mr Holtby, an accomplished seaman working on the boats in Weston before becoming a taxi driver, had a bleed on his brain from an aneurysm aged just 38. After his stroke his crew number, five, was held open for him as a sign that he was always welcome back until his official retirement finally came.
